The links between poverty and the environment in Malawi

dc.contributor.author	Mkwara, Bentry
dc.contributor.author	Marsh, Dan
dc.date.accessioned	2010-03-01T01:08:55Z
dc.date.available	2010-03-01T01:08:55Z
dc.date.issued	2009-11
dc.identifier.citation	Mkwara, B. & Marsh, D. (2009). The links between poverty and the environment in Malawi. (Department of Economics Working Paper Series, Number 09/10). Hamilton, New Zealand: University of Waikato.	en
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10289/3652
dc.description.abstract	Deforestation arising from conversion of forest areas into agriculture is a serious problem in Malawi. Cultivation of subsistence and cash crops is often cited as a major cause of this problem. This paper applies the von Thunen model to firstly, discuss competition for agricultural land and secondly, establish why the poor are closely associated with forests. Further, a regression analysis is conducted to examine the effects of changes in crop land use on changes in forest cover. Results indicate that cultivation of different crops has varying effects on deforestation. Cultivation of maize, primarily by the poor, appears to be the principal cause of deforestation while tobacco and pulses stand at second and third positions, respectively. Finally, a simple methodology is developed to estimate the extent of poverty-driven deforestation in Malawi.	en
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf
dc.language.iso	en
dc.relation.ispartofseries	Department of Economics Working Paper Series
dc.subject	poverty	en
dc.subject	environment	en
dc.subject	agriculture	en
dc.subject	deforestation	en
dc.subject	Malawi	en
dc.title	The links between poverty and the environment in Malawi	en
dc.type	Working Paper	en
uow.relation.series	09/10